Let's open our Bibles in the book of Romans. We will continue with our Bible study in chapter 5. I want to remind you that we have been studying the five benefits that we receive because of justification by faith in Jesus Christ. But I would like to begin our Bible study by asking you the following question. When you are facing trials or difficulties, how well are you to receive them? Do you persevere when you are being afflicted? Or do you try to escape from it as soon as possible? Do you continue serving Christ as usual? Or do you stop coming to church? You don't read your Bible anymore and you feel depressed. Let me tell you something. That is not the attitude of a true believer. A true believer has a different attitude toward affliction. And this is one of the benefits or characteristics of a true believer. Let's read chapter 5, verses 3 to 5. And there we will find the four characteristics or the four benefits of being justified by faith. Paul says, and not only this, but we also exalt in our tribulations, knowing that the tribulation brings about perseverance. Paul says that one of the benefits of being justified by faith in Jesus Christ is that we rejoice or we exult in our tribulations. And here we found a definition of a true believer or the mark of a true believer. A true believer is someone who rejoices in the afflictions he or she experienced because of our Lord Jesus Christ. he or she experienced because of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, if you are a believer, or someone who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and for any reason you are suffering because of his name, you will not flee from affliction. You will be someone who rejoices in the midst of tribulations. The word that Paul uses here in verse 3, Some Bibles translate rejoice. Or other Bibles translate exult. And others says boast. So a Christian is someone who boasts in their tribulations. So this word speaks of the attitude a believer has toward tribulation. Most people will flee out when they experience tribulation because of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the gospel of John chapter 6, John chapter 6. We have what is called a mass defection. We're not going to go rare because the chapter is too long. All 70 verses. But what I want to mention is that many people were following Christ. Because he was feeding them and he was healing them. Then he began to exhort them. And he says to them, you are following because you have been eating. But seek for the food that takes you to eternal life. He began preaching to them. And as a result of them, they were saying, these saints are very hard. Who can endure them? And the Word of God says that from that moment on, many stopped following Him. They did not suffer the exhortation, much more the afflictions a person suffers for Christ. So when Paul says in verse 3, and not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations. This speaks of the idea that the believer has when he faces tribulations because of Jesus. I want to remind you that in the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord Jesus says that many will be persecuted because of his name. And here he speaks of the attitude a believer must have. Matthew chapter 5, verses 10 through 12. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, For there is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely said all kinds of evil against you because of me. And notice now the commandment of Christ or his disciples. Rejoice and be glad. For your reward in heaven is great. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. So, as you can see, Paul is not teaching differently. Paul is teaching exactly the same teaching. So, a true believer is someone who obeys the Lord Jesus Christ. And when he or she faces tribulations, they respond with joy. Now, the word tribulation It is a very important word because it contains one idea. The idea is that pressure that comes from the outside. It is, for example, when someone wants to take out the water from a sponge, If you want the sponge to be dry, you have to squeeze it to take out all the water. And the idea is to exercise pressure. Have you ever seen how they make olive oil? If you make olive oil at home, you have to put the olives in a container and you have to get an object to put pressure on it. a lot of pressure and you get all the oil out. So the word tribulation means to face pressure. It's to encounter pressure because of Christ. So when that happens, a true believer, it's a Keep it coming. Come on. You just keep persevering. Now the question is, why? Someone will rejoice in tribulation. Are they crazy or what? I remember, I love boxing. I like to see boxing. There was a Mexican fighter who loved to get engaged in brawls. He really threw a lot of punches. And in one fight, he almost get knocked out. So when he came back to his corner for a minute of rest, he says, I love it! I love this! Now we have a fight! So the guy loved to engage in fighting. A true believer will face tribulation with joy. Now, the question is why? Now let me ask you, do you like to suffer? I don't like to suffer. I remember The first time that I went to Mexico after being a Christian, I got to the airport and I was outside the airport waiting for someone to pick me up. So my father and my brother arrived. Just think about this. It's been five years that I haven't seen my father. So he comes, he grabs my luggage, and he just throws it into the pickup like this. And he says, get in. He was very angry at me. And he says, I want to warn you. I said, I don't want you to talk about Christ to anyone. I didn't answer. I said, let's wait and see. So, the next day, I went to the roof of the house, and I started praying. And I said, Lord, Give me opportunities to preach the gospel to my family. Then my little sister, she came and went like this. She says, my mom and dad are calling you. So I went into the room and I tell myself, here it comes. They're gonna scold me right now. And you know what were the first words that came out of the mouth of my father? Tell us what you believe. So the Lord opened the door for me to preach the gospel to them. So the thing is, how do you face tribulation? When joy, when gladness, and if it is like that, A true believer faces tribulation with joy because of what tribulation produces in the life of the believer. Now, notice the next phrase of the verse. It says, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance. In other words, without tribulation, a believer will never persevere. So, tribulation produces perseverance in the life of a true believer. But, I want you to notice the first word. Paul says, Knowing. So the reason why a believer faces tribulation with joy is because he or she knows what tribulation brings into their life. Without tribulation you will never persevere. The word persevere can also be translated patience. Or someone who continues to persevere. or steadfastness. So when Paul says, knowing that affliction brings about perseverance, Paul knows that knowledge is power in the life of the believer. When you have the information that Tribulation will produce perseverance in you. Then you will gladly face tribulation. Because what is going to produce. So a true believer knows what tribulation produces. Now notice the second part. In verse four. In perseverance, proven character. In proven character, hope. So, when someone faces tribulation, and instead of running away from tribulation, you face it with joy, and that will resolve in your steadfastness, in your perseverance. I want you to go to the Gospel of Mark. In Mark chapter 4, in verse 17, you have what is called the parable of the sower. Beginning in chapter 4, the Lord gives the parable. And then he will give the explanation of the parable. And notice what it says in verse 16. In a similar way, these are those ones on whom seed was sown in the rocky places. whom where they hear the word immediately receive it with joy. Notice that some Christians receive the word with joy. But later on, something that will happen to every Christian will come, which is tribulation, verse 17. And they have no firm roots in themselves, but at only temporary. Then when affliction or persecution arises, because of the word, immediately they fall away. So here we have a false believer, a false convert, but a true believer will face tribulation or persecution with joy. Now the question is why? And the answer is given to us, going back to Romans, when Paul says, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance. And that perseverance, proven character, a proven character of hope. This is a benefit for all of us. So, God has designed tribulations for our benefit. When someone goes through tribulation, they will find out that they are true Christians. So if you want to know that you are a true believer, check what kind of attitude do you have when you face tribulations. Check yourself what kind of attitude. If you respond with joy, knowing that that tribulation will bring perseverance, will help you to stay firm, not to do what the people that are mentioned in Mark chapter 4 did. Then that perseverance will show proven character. Now, the word proven, it's a word that is used in metal, in the testing of beautiful metals. I remember some years ago, before I got married, a friend of mine gave me a little bag full of broken jewelry. There were some rings and chains. And he says, can you keep this for me? So one year passed by, two years, short story, 20 years. And I don't know where is my friend. I don't know if he's dead. I don't know what happened to him. And my wife says, I don't want this anymore. You need to find him. So I called to the place he used to work for. And somehow I find out where he was working. So someone gave me his phone number. I called him and I told him about the jewelry. And he says, I don't want it. That used to belong to a girlfriend that I used to have. I don't want that. He says, go and sell it. So my wife and I went to a place where they buy gold. Before you sell the gold, they need to make sure if it is gold. So they are going to test it. They want to prove that it is gold. So they got the metal, they scratch it in a little stone, and they put some liquid, and a different color came out. And the man said, this is not gold. So, short story, nothing in the bag was gold. It was useless, because the jeweler, the man who buy the gold, tested and found out that it's not gold. So, in the same way, if you want to find out If someone is a true believer, watch them when they go through tribulations. Because tribulation will produce persevering. And if they persevere, their character is going to be tested. And once you find out that that person is a true believer, you will see that that person is someone who lives with hope. So, what is the hope that Paul is talking about? It is hope in the eternal life. It is the kind of hope that when you face the Lord Jesus Christ in the final day, He will say, come to me, faithful servant. But that is something that a false believer doesn't possess. Remember those who are mentioned in Matthew chapter 7, that in that day many would say, Lord, Lord, in your name we did many things. And Jesus would say, depart from me even worse. These people, they didn't have true hope. They were people who did not persevere in affliction. Their character was never tested. And therefore, they have a false hope. Now, dear brothers, Do you have hope that at the end of your life you will see Christ face to face? Because you are a true believer that the gates of heaven are going to be open How can you have that certainty? Some people say, well, I made a profession of faith. So does the ones in Mark chapter 14, they made a provisional faith. They received the word with joy. But how can you know? And the way you will find out is in how you face tribulations. And if you are persevering in the midst of those tribulations, and if you find out that your character has been proven, then if your character has been proven, then you have true hope. You can say, I will not be ashamed in the last day. Listen to the words of the psalmist. In the book of Psalms, just give me one second so I can find it out. Which psalm? Psalm 25. Psalm 25 in verse 3. So let's read that psalm. Just give me one second so that I can get to it. Because I was in Psalm 25. Okay, Psalm 25 verse 3 says, None of those who wait for you will be ashamed. Those who deal treacherously without God will be ashamed. See, anyone who waits in the Lord, in the midst of tribulation, they will not be ashamed. They will be the kind of people who truly have hope. In the same book of Psalms, Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the book of Psalms, in verse 80, Psalm 119 verse 80, May my heart be blameless in your statutes so that I will not be ashamed. So when someone suffers for Christ and they endure that tribulation, they will not be ashamed. So Paul says that a true believer has So now, let's go to verse 5. Remember, we're in Romans, chapter 5, now verse 5. Pay attention to the sequence because all of this is part of the same time. Verse 5. and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts to the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Notice that someone who faces tribulation with joy will persevere, and in that perseverance, their character is going to be proven. And once their character is proven, they will have hope. But this is the kind of hope they will have. The hope does not disappoint, meaning that some people will have a disappointed fate. We believe that they have hope in Christ. They say, I made a profession of faith, I am saved. I don't want to give a bad reputation to anyone. a musical group, a Christian musical group that is called Mercy Me. They've been playing music for a long time, probably two years. And the music is beautiful. They are good singers. But if you pay attention to the language, You will find out that many of those songs they sing, it is a very superficial language. And I will dare to say that that is the language of someone who possess a hope that will disappoint them. Those singers come from the South, what's called the Bible Belt here in America, where you find the church in every corner here, where everybody is Christian, and many, many people They are raised in a Christian home, and therefore they consider themselves Christians. But the way they live is not as a true Christian. And those people who live in that way who profess to believe in Christ, but they live differently than the way Christ requests from true Christians. They will have a disappointed fate. So Paul says, Paul says that in hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts. Now, I want you to see where the love of God is being poured out. When the Bible speaks of the heart, it's not about the physical muscle that pumps your blood. It is about the inner person. It is about the soul of the person. Being poured out within our hearts, a true believer has received the love of God in the innermost part of their being. Meaning that he or she has had a true experience with God. They have been born again. So the love of God has been poured within our hearts, he says. And this is through the Holy Spirit that it was given to us. So when Paul says that the love of God has been poured, he is speaking of God's love for us. Notice what it says in chapter 5 verse 8. But God demonstrated his own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. So this is the love that is being poured. So now, notice the words that Paul uses here. When he says, because the love of God has been poured out, it means that we didn't receive just a little bit of the love of God. It is like getting a bucket of water and just pouring it out. So therefore, because Because the Holy Spirit is in us, we are able to face tribulation. Now, what is the hope for those who persevere in tribulation? Let's go to the book of Hebrews. In the book of Hebrews, I'm sorry, the book of James, the book of James chapter 1, You will see the topic of tribulation or trials in verse 2 and 3. But we're not going to read those verses. We're going to read verse 12. Notice what it says. Bless is a man who perseveres under trial. Now notice that the verse begin by saying is that bless is a man. Bless are those who persevere under trial. For once he has been approved Notice the word approved contains the idea of having been tested and passed the test and come to the idea that this is gold. This is pure gold. 24 carats. What is the highest? What is the purest goal? 999.9 Meaning it carries. 24? 24 carats. Pure gold. So James says, blessed is a man who perseveres under trial. So once he or she passed the trial, they have been proven. They have been approved. He will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him. It is the same idea that we just studied. It is the same idea of facing trials and persevere and be proven in character. And as a result of that having hope, and that hope is because the love of God has been poured in our hearts. And when God has poured his love in you, then you will love him. So James says the same thing. is the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him. So, dear brothers, I want to conclude our Bible study by asking you the same question I asked you in the beginning. How do you face trials? Do you try to run away from things? Or will you face them with joy? I will exhort you to face them with joy. Knowing that any trial you are about to face will produce in you to keep persevering in the faith. And while you persevere, When you persevere, your Christian character is going to be tested. And if you keep persevering, you will have a true hope. A hope that does not disappoint. Because the love of God has been poured within your heart. So may the Lord help us to persevere in the midst of tribulation. When you feel discouraged, Ask God to give you strength. Ask God to encourage you. Ask God to help you to keep going. When you lack faith, ask God to increase your faith, to help your incredulity, and just keep persevering. We're not talking about someone who has a perfect character as the Lord Jesus Christ. We're talking about someone who keeps growing, growing in their character. Because the persevering, it is becoming more like the character of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let's keep persevering. Yes, praise. Father, we are so grateful to you for your Word. Because through your Word, we get knowledge. Knowledge to find out if we are truly in the faith. Knowledge to know how to face tribulation. And what to expect after we pass the test. I want to ask you, Lord, to be merciful to all of us here this moment. To give us the kind of hope that does not disappoint. May we all persevere to the end. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. Amen.